Missed chance regained
by Grendel1
Summary: Here is Chapter 6. Gendo is betrayed, and we get some insight into Keel as well as the changes that Rei II's psyche has undergone. R/S Please,please, please R
1. Chapter 1

Shinji clutched Rei to his chest as he sobbed. He had tried. He had tried to lend his Eva's own AT field to Rei's entry-plug capsule when her Eva had self-destructed but it hadn't been enough to with stand the full fury of the blast. Now, as Shinji's held Rei his hands bleed profusely, mingling with the blood that oozed out of her own shattered body. He had burned his hands to the point where skin and plastic had both melted when he opened Rei's superheated entry-plug, and now the melted plastic clang to the flesh of his palms. But he barely even noticed.  
  
He sat there, crouched in Rei's twisted entry plug, her body smashed beyond any recognition aside from blue hair and albino skin, neither of which could be easily seen beneath the layer of blood on top of them. Most people that looked at the corpse that had once been Ayanami would have immediately vomited. But Shinji could not do that, for he could not get past the fact that these were the remains of Ayanami. Gently shaking his head he could only stare down at what had once been his friend. Why, he thought. Why did you do it. She had done it for him. Shinji had never seen Rei defy an order before, would never have dreamed it of the girl who had confided in him once, almost a year ago, that she piloted Eva because it gave her the only bond she had to the human race. But when she saw that his life was in danger from The Angel of Might she defied her orders to eject and gave up her own life to protect him. She died to save him.  
  
He looked down at her and paled even more at this thought, what it meant. It meant that someone really had cared about him all along. Someone who didn't simply see him as a tool or as an annoyance that could eventually grow on oneself if given time. But, one part of himself insisted, this wasn't possible. Rei couldn't have really cared so much about him, could she? He wanted to deny it. He wanted to scream out loud that nobody could ever think that way about him. His father wouldn't, so why should anyone else care about him. But he wouldn't deny it, despite how natural it felt to put himself down. If he did, he knew, it would ruin everything Rei had done for him. So instead he simply continued to crouch in the entry-plug as the heat from the hollow and twisted piece of metal radiated from the inside, searing Shinji's skin, making it painful to even keep his eyes open.  
  
"Rei, I'm sorry. I tried talking to you from time to time, but I just didn't know what to say."  
  
Flashback  
  
"Is that the reason why you have been looking at me then," Rei asked. The question was simply stated, but Shinji could just barely here a hopeful note on Rei's voice. Scared he retreated back in to his shell. He looked away, pretending not to have noticed.  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
End Flashback  
  
Shinji's eyes teared, whether from the heat or from the shame of lost chances he could not be sure. Rei, you were alone when I first met you. And I get the impression that you've lived your entire life alone. I wish that I could go back Rei. To tell you that you weren't alone, that I cared to. I just couldn't let myself believe that somebody could care about me. Is that why you didn't say anything either, because you felt that way inside to?  
  
Shinji blinked in surprise, realizing he may have hit on another way that she and himself were alike. Neither one had been raised to think of themselves as being important, and it showed. Did Rei not say anything to Shinji because she did not think she was worth Shinji's notice? Shinji just shook his head and looked down at Rei. I think back to every time I had a chance to say something to you and didn't. But I should have said something Rei, so why did you have to die and leave me before I finally found my nerve? I would have found it eventually. Shinji stared down at the bleeding mass of flesh he clang to. I love you Rei.  
  
Rei's body suddenly spasmed. Shinji stared at Rei's body as it began to involuntarily twitch and shudder. Before Shinji's astonished eyes, Rei's eyes opened, at first unseeing, but soon the light of comprehension flooded them. Shinji just stared at Rei. "Rei. I.I." he stuttered not knowing what to say.  
  
Rei looked at Shinji weakly, and smiled. "I know," she said, "I love you to." And with those words Rei shuddered and fell into an exhausted slumber.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
"How did this happen," Gendo asked, frowning at Dr. Akagi.  
  
"It would appear that contact with an angel completed her angelic structure. The full effects of this however, and what it implies to the scenario have yet to be seen."  
  
"That is not what I am asking, why is she still alive. She was supposed to die so that we could transfer her soul into a specially designed body, one that was perfectly equipped to start Third Impact. It even had a security measure encoded in it to ensure that Rei could only survive by joining with Lilith. Why didn't Rei stay dead? Her body was damaged far beyond her capabilities of healing. This is." Gendo groped for a word, but Dr. Akagi cut him off.  
  
"What happened was simple. Shinji subconsciously synchronized with Rei's body and forced the living cells to begin to regenerate at a rate that is not ordinarily possible, even for her. Once this was completed, Rei's soul went back into its familiar body."  
  
"But that is ridiculous!"  
  
"No, Shinji did things like this since the first day he got here. Don't you remember how he forced his Eva's arm to move despite the fact Unit-01 lacked the energy. Shinji fed it some of his own AT field. His Eva, and now apparently Rei, can draw energy from his unique state of existence, and Shinji can use it to force them to go beyond their ordinary limits."  
  
Gendo stared at Ritsuko. "I want a full exam done on Rei. If she has become an angel than I have to know if she can still carry out her primary duty, and unite the human race."  
  
"Understood."  
  
"Dismissed." 


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own NGE.  
  
Alright. Anyone here read any good R/S fics lately. I haven't, and those are the only fics that keep bringing me back here. I admit I may have missed some while skimming, but things still look bleak for us devoted Rei and Shinji fans. But keep your courage, comrades. We know we are backing the right horse, so here is another installment of my R/S fic. Enjoy.  
  
On a side note does anyone know how to get in contact with Ryan Xavier. I want him to put this fic of mine on his website, but he won't respond. Also, it has been so long since he came out with some new material that I am beggining to sweat for fear that he has given up on it. So if anyone knows how I can contact him so that I can submit my fic on to his site, please let me know.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __  
  
Shinji sat beside Rei's bed in the private recovery ward close to Dr. Akagi's office, his head resting against his knuckles as his SDAT, which lay on a pile of magazines Shinji had brought, continuously played opera, classical music that served to keep him composed inside as he stared down at Rei's unmoving form. She had slept their for the past two days without waking, completely oblivious to Shinji who had not left her bed side, except to go home and sleep, since she had gotten out of the emergency room.  
  
When Maya had heard of this from Dr. Akagi she dropped by to see him a few times, grinning at Shinji in a sweet, gentle manner, and saying how lucky Rei was to find such a nice boy like him.  
  
"Ah, Shinji," Maya had said when she had visited Shinji for the first time, "I didn't know you were such a little charmer. Tee hee, I always thought a nice boy like you is just what Rei needs. Someone her own age who is sensitive and can appreciate what she has to go through everyday here. If you like, I can have the nurses bring dinner for you. The food here isn't great, I think the cook must be a relative of the Major's, but it wouldn't be a problem to arrange it to be brought to you if you want."  
  
Shinji had wanted it, and so he had been taking all of his meals since then next to Rei's bedside, courtesy of Maya.  
  
Misato, on the other hand, had been another matter entirely, much to Shinji's surprise and unhappiness. Misato, apparently, had become somewhat bitter in recent days with the Commander of NERV, probably from all of those long hours of overtime he had made her work, not to mention his usual demeanor which may have helped him to get under Misato's skin. The fact that Kaji had also dumped her, according to Misato, had also probably made her more irritable as well.  
  
And thus, whatever the Misatos's reasons were to be angry with the Commander, when Shinji had first mentioned what Rei said in the entry plug, and had told Misato about his own feelings for her, Misato had angrily shook her head and muttered, almost under her breath, that maybe he shouldn't read so much into anything that the Commander's own personal cheerleader said and to watch his back when around someone that was so loyal to him.  
  
Dr. Akagi, for her part, had simply avoided Rei's room however, neither approving or disapproving of Shinji and Rei being together. Ever since she had treated Rei's remaining injuries and declared that the young pilot would not only live but also would probably make a full recovery given enough time, the Doctor had avoided everyone save the Commander, whom she spent many long hours with in his office, discussing who knows what. The doctor made no mention however of Rei's condition or her recovery, though Shinji guessed from the look that the doctor had on her face when she had first come out of surgery, that she knew that something had happened, and it was something that Dr. Akagi found disturbing.  
  
Shinji could not guess what that might be, could not even begin to guess what had happened to Rei, or how she survived. He was reasonably sure though, that his father would not let anything happen to Rei. She was always his child in spirit, in away that Shinji would never be. Hopefully his father would protect someone he actually seemed to care about. How hard could it be to fake a few medical reports and simply let the whole matter drop.  
  
Rei had not regained consciousness since she had stunned Shinji with her deceleration of love for him. Shinji still trembled when he thought back to that moment. She had actually smiled for him and said that she loved him. Smiling for a moment, Shinji sighed, and tried to relax in his chair, a somber look slowly shadowing his face. Rei had not awoken. Dr. Akagi either could not or would not say why. Shinji did not know what was wrong with Rei and could not get any answers out of anyone. Is this how it is going to end, he thought, a short moment of happiness to punctuate my miserable life. Why did this have to happen to her? Why couldn't it be me lying here. I know that I could be happy if it was me that was in a coma if. . . if . . . I just knew that someone cared about me outside my sleep. I wonder if Rei thinks like that as well. I wonder if Rei might be happy somewhere deep down inside herself when she hears me talking to her while she lies here. I hope so. She deserves to be happy.  
  
Shinji began to brood inside as he thought about all of the crap the two of them had been forced to live with for most of their lives. In Rei's case maybe all of her life. And why? Because of his father of course. Shinji's father was probably the root of more evils than Shinji would ever know. More than he would ever want know. The only evils that mattered to him right now was what he did to make Rei the way she had been. What kind of a father was he to make Rei live the way she had, and would Shinji have wound up like her if he had been allowed to stay with his father?  
  
Shinji rubbed his forehead, as he tried to fight the headache that had begun to form inside his skull. Despite the awful condition of the world around him, Shinji decided he would simply try to forget about all of his problems and instead imagined what he and Rei would say to each other when she finally woke up. She had to wake up. He supposed that at first there would be an awkward pause, and then they would ask each other how they were feeling and then they would begin to tell each other when they first started to develop feelings toward each other. That sounded nice. Shinji clung to that thought.  
  
Shinji heard a beeping sound coming from his wrist and looked down at his watch and sighed. He was already late for a synch test. Not that he really cared. Shinji had been hoping that Rei might wake up soon and so he had decided to wait for a while longer than was probably wise. Shinji debated within himself as to what he should do. He did not want to leave Rei, but if he were to miss the synch test. . . Shinji's suddenly had a vision of his father, glaring at him grimly from behind a pair of shades, his every gesture filled with menace. He imagined the sound of scorn and disgust that was the natural sound of his voice. Shinji envisioned his father telling him how disappointing his son was to him despite the fact that he had never even bothered to raise him into something he might find less disapointing. Suddenly a spark of the rebellion that he had not felt since he seen what his father's handiwork had done to Touji began to smoulder in Shinji's chest. Damn him, Shinji thought while clenching his fist tightly, his nails biting into his skin, I don't need to do anything for _him_ anymore. He has no more pilots left. No one but me. What's he going to do if I miss one stupid test. Throw me in prison again? He probably thinks I'm so crazy that I would walk out on him again like I did the last time he put me in jail. He has to maintain me for one last battle. So I can probably get away with this at least. Just this once.  
  
He accepted this answer from himself uncomfortably, and grimacing, he raised his head to look up at the ceiling while he tried to stop himself from thinking of what his father was going to say to him when he officially wrung him out for insubordination and dereliction of duty. Shinji tried to imagine himself behaving far more bravely to his father than he knew he was capable of, Shinji willed his thoughts to turn to the girl that waited silently for him behind the door.  
  
* * *  
  
"The Commander will see you now." Dr. Akagi's voice was cold, her face betrayed no emotion, though her face told the story of a woman who had not slept in quite a while and was sustaining her self by the magic that was instant coffee.  
  
Shinji, who had been drifting off, looked up with a start, and then blinked blearily at the doctor. "Huh, what, did my father send you to come get me."  
  
"That is correct," said the doctor tersely while rubbing her brow, almost as if the simple act of listening were causing her an enormous amount of pain, which Shinji suspected it was. "You missed a test. We waited for almost half an hour for you to show up. Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in? If you think you can maybe drag yourself away from Snow White for a moment, the Commander would like to have a word with you." The doctor slapped Shinji on the back of his head in an all to Auska like manner. "Any employee of NERV who screws up answers to the Commander. Always. That is why NERV is so efficient. And you, in case you haven't figured it out yet, are by no means an exception. Pray that he is not in the mood for corporeal punishment, because I am not going to do any stitching until I have had some sleep."  
  
"Corporeal punishment," Shinji squeaked.  
  
"Oh, yes. Did you simply think he was going to breathe real hard. He is God, as far as a member of NERV is concerned. And now I'm taking you to what most members of NERV consider to be Hell Shinji. Lets go."  
  
And with those last word she turned on her heel and began walking to the elevator, not turning around to see if Shinji was following. After a moments pause, Shinji ran after her.  
  
  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The Commander's office was cold. So cold in fact that Shinji was almost surprised that he didn't see his own breath in the air of the room while he fought the urge to shiver. All around the ceiling, the floors, and the walls were scrawlings of some symbol that Shinji could not quite make out in the dim light of the Commander's office. The Commander himself sat at the center of this tapestry of unpleasantness, leaving Shinji with no doubts that everything about this room was designed to intimidate.  
  
"You know why you are here." This was not a question, merely a statement from Shinji's father.  
  
"I . . . Skipped. I thought maybe Rei would. . ."  
  
"Since when were you and the First Child on a first name basis," asked Shinji's father, in a voice that dripped scorn, reminding Shinji of the time he had heard a boy in his last school use the honorific -chan with the most popular girl in his school so many times that he himself had accidently said chan without thinking about it and had been laughed at for the rest of the school year by every person in his school. After he had been beaten with an inch of his life by the her boyfriend, although that was after she herself had slapped him so hard his nose bleed, the sight of which helped convince her boyfriend that it was no accident. Even the school nurse had snickered at Shinji when he was carried in by the school janitor. Shinji had become home schooled after that year. And he still remained the only boy at his new school who hated cheerleaders.  
  
This time however Shinji decided he had good reason to hold his ground. "She said a couple of things to me before she went unconscious in her cock pit that makes it seem appropriate. Not that this is any of your business."  
  
The Commanders mouth twitched slightly, and Shinji wondered what he would see if his father were to take off his shades.  
  
"Ah, yes, I have heard the sound recordings from the entry-plug's black- box. Or, at least, what passes for a black-box in the entry-plug. I have important things to do, Shinji, so I will get to the point. You believe she told you that she loved you. She never did." Gendo finished off that last remark with his voice beginning to sound as if the Shinji's father were begging to fight off laughter over a joke that only he could understand.  
  
Shinji just stared at his father. Shinji knew that his father was going to say something to him to try to get him to break off his relationship with Rei. Overprotective might not be quite the word to use the way Gendo treated Rei, but somehow Shinji was sure that the man in front of him did not consider him a good influence on Rei. Shinji couldn't help but feel a sense of irony in this.  
  
"Give me a break you damn bastard. Do you really think I'm going to believe you after hearing her say it to my face? Who do you think you are fooling?"  
  
"Be silent, _child_. Don't you think it is odd how the First Child was able to survive despite the magnitude of the explosion?"  
  
"She survived. I just know that it is right somehow. Can't you just be happy for her and not worry about it?"  
  
"And you wonder how I could look down on your intelligence. But still, you said that you know that it is right for Rei to be well. That is because it was you who made her so, Shinji." Gendo ignored Shinji's look of surprise and continued, "I do not wish to expound on this so I will be brief. Rei is an angel Shinji. We created her for purposes that you could never understand. The matter that she is created from is similar enough to an angels solidified light body that it can be repaired by the light of a soul. When an Eva or an Angel is regenerating it is usually their own light they are converting into a solidified form of light matter replaces the matter that they lose. And of course it can also retrace their bodies natural form and heal any tears and breaks in the body as well." Shinji gaped at his father. He did not wish to believe these things that his father was telling him, but every word rang true inside of Shinji, and deep down he knew that his father was actually speaking the truth to him. Mercilessly, Gendo continued, "And that is how Rei is alive now Shinji. Your soul's light nit Rei back together and replaced the blood she lost. But you went a step further. While Rei's soul was out still transposed from her body you continued to synchronise with Rei. I suppose you felt bad that she died for you, am I correct?" Shinji just looked at his father, he did not have the strength to put on a face of defiance so he simply stood their grimly, not saying a word to his father.  
  
The Commander nodded knowingly at Shinji, clearing his throat, he continued, "You wanted Rei to comfort you. And so she did. Because you made her. You were synchronized with her in the same way that you were with your Eva and so she did what you wanted her to do. You wanted her to make you feel better and so you made Rei's soulless husk act as if she were Rei giving her heart to you. But I seriously doubt that she is going to even remember it. And if she does it will seem as only the most distant dream." The Commander looked at his son, who had turned his face from his father and was now crying softly to himself. The Commander smiled at his son. "Any questions?"  
  
* * * After Shinji had left the Commander's office the Sub-Commander finally spoke up, "That was cruel, Gendo. And to your own son."  
  
"He is no son of mine. I broke away from the role of fatherhood when it ceased to have any meaning for me. Now I have another reason for which I exist and I will not allow an insecure boy to stand in my way. Besides, perhaps what I said was true. But if it wasn't, I am glad that Dr. Akagi is currently erasing Rei's most recent memories. I would simply have the doctor erase Rei's entire personality and be done with it if I could, but I can't be sure how that will effect her abilities to initiate Third Impact. And now that Rei's natural body has become so altered, and thus affecting her soul's light, I will have to have her under study for some time before I can allow her to die. Otherwise, I have no means by which to call back her soul, and nobody that it would accept even if I could summon her spirit and bind it to my will." The Commander sat back. "Bring the Major to me. It is time that she and I had a talk."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Auska looked at Shinji's door. Shinji had come home on the verge of tears, and then had gone straight to his room where he had been crying off and on for the past half-hour. Auska had always been of the opinion that Shinji was not the toughest guy in the world, but still, something had obviously happened to cause him so much pain. She shuddered at that thought. Though it had been weeks since her mind had been over run by that creature, Auska still suffered with in from the effects of the 15th angel's assault on her mind. She hesitated, now standing in front of Shinji's door, but in the end a mixture of curiosity and compassion drove her on. Auska knocked on Shinji's door. "Hey, baka, I mean, Shinji, do you want to talk about it?" 


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion.  
  
I'm sorry it took so long to get this next installment up. I have been really busy, and will try to come out with something new sooner. This installment is not so much an action piece so much as that it sets the stage for the next chap. Please bare with me and you will be rewarded. Enjoy.  
  
Oh, and Auska isn't about to breakdown. At least not yet. She is just pissed off about what happened to her.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
At the bottom of NERV headquarters, in a room so secret that less than a dozen people knew of its existence, in a tank of LCL that glowed a pale blue, floated the first child to be chosen as an Eva pilot. Her name was Ayanami Rei and she was the creation of a man called Ikari Gendo, cobbled in a tank of LCL from the DNA of several dozen genetic donors and that stuff which passed for DNA inside an immense giant being that was made of a solidified form of light.  
  
The First Child floated, bobbing almost lazily in the narrow tube, appearing for all the world to asleep. Or dead. And yet she was neither asleep nor dead, merely in an altered state of consciousness as she struggled inwardly to regain her cognitive faculties and move her body. She had regained consciousness in this tube several hours ago or so it seemed. But what was she doing here, she wondered. Rei tried to recall her most recent memories but it seemed her mind was cloaked in a haze. She thought she recalled having been sent out in her Eva, though for what she could not recall. Was there an angel attack, or something else, and if something else than what, she pondered? And what was she doing in side of this tube? Had the Commander put her here?  
  
Rei struggled inwardly as she attempted to open her eyes, focusing her every thought and ounce of concentration to performing this one simple function, and slowly, after spending several seconds gathering her will, Rei's eyes opened weakly.  
  
The First Child looked blearily through the oddly colored LCL and immediately felt a sense of shock rush through her. Shinji stood in front of her, standing calmly and motionless before the astonished First Child with a small, yet comforting smile on his face. Rei's eyes widened as she tried to process this piece of information. What was Shinji doing here? Who brought him. Could he have snuck in to this lab? Impossible! But then what was he doing here? He may be the 3rd Child but he has no purpose here, the young girl thought. Rei was about to try to call out to Shinji but stopped. It was the look in his eyes, calm, happy, and yet sad all at once that caused Rei to remain silent. Shinji continued to gaze at Rei, his face, smooth and relaxed, stood in sharp contrast to the worn, haggard expression that was all that the face of the weary First Child could muster. A wave of weariness washed over Rei, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. This moment meant something to Rei, though she could not fully explain what that was, and she gazed back at Shinji, at his soft blue eyes and kind, gentle expression.  
  
Suddenly, beneath Rei, their was a shift in the strong, subtle flow of the current that had caused her to float upward in the LCL tube. Rei felt her body gently fall to the floor of the glass cylinder. Her body no longer held upright by unseen currents, Rei was unable to continue looking at Shinji as she drifted to the bottom of the container and fell to her knees, the trunk of her body, to heavy for her to raise, bowed downward, and her arms fell to her side. Rei struggled to raise her head and finally she was able to look upward. Shinji was still there, but somehow he did not seem as cognitive as he had been, his face now expressing disorientation. He even seemed less tangible, as if he were now less present than he had been before. Rei did not want this. Her body felt as if it was being crushed under the weight of the LCL, even breathing was difficult to her. Pain was not knew to her, she felt pain in a variety of ways, but that pain had always lessened when Shinji was around, ever since he had first come to NERV he had given her the comfort that no one else had ever cared to.  
  
But Shinji continued to decrease in substance, until he was barely discernable from the background behind him. Mustering what was left of her depleted strength, Rei raised her trembling left arm slowly through the murky blue LCL and rested it on the tank's glass wall.  
  
"W-wait," Rei choked out.  
  
Despite Rei's urging to stay, Shinji vanished entirely, leaving her alone in the LCL. Exhausted and now feeling more abandoned and alone than she had ever felt in her entire life, Rei's hand slid to the floor of the tank her head bowed forward once again, resting on her knees. Deep with in she felt her mind slide into the dark regions of her unconsciousness and soon she was asleep.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Shinji awoke with a start, gasping for air, he thrashed on the couch. His arm swung out and accidentally knocked over the little glass candy jar on Misato's tea table. "Aarrghh", shouted Shinji as he clutched his bruised wrist, still confused to the surroundings he had awoken to. Trying to sit up straight so that he could better orient himself, Shinji instead fell off the couch that he had been sleeping on and fell over landing on top of Pen- pen who had been sleeping beside the couch. The poor Warm Spring Penguin, who had been asleep up till the second that Shinji had fallen on top of him, squawked with all his might as he scratched and bit at the figure that had disturbed his slumber.  
  
"Hey, what the hell is going on out there?" Suddenly Auska appeared standing in front of her doorway, wearing a large red night shirt that came down to her knees. On her face was a groggy, yet angry expression on her face.  
  
"Uuugh, I fell", Shinji said, not able to think of anything more intelligent to say.  
  
"Dumpkoph, its three in the morning. SHUT UP!" With that Auska turned and went back into her room.  
  
Shinji stared after her for a moment, and then he turned to look into the accusing eyes of Pen-pen who had retreated into the freezer after Shinji's unexpected assault and was now looking at him with his head poking out of his little pet door. Shinji was sure that if penguin's had facial expressions Pen-pen would be scowling at him. Shinji looked back at the penguin sheepishly.  
  
"Sorry. Bad dream I guess." Wierd dream was more like it, Shinji thought as he tried to discern whether his subconscious was trying to tell him something. It was only natural for him to have nightmares of Rei given the current set of circumstances, but the dream he had just been having was a little much.  
  
"Squawk", said Pen-pen, who seemed oddly consolidated by Shinji's meek apology. Groggily Pen-pen waddled out of his freezer and over next to Shinji who was still clutching his hurt arm all while laying sprawled on the floor amidst his pillow and blankets right where Pen-pen had been sleeping. The penguin waddled over next to Shinji and then unceremoniously flopped himself down on the floor beside the young boy and lay still.  
  
"Thanks, its nice to know that I can count on someone to go easy on me." Wish everyone was so nice to me, he thought.  
  
With that Shinji gathered his blankets together and spread them back over the couch, repairing his make shift bed. When this was complete Shinji lay back down on the couch, and tried to relax. Sighing, Shinji wished that he hadn't ripped his futon up earlier that day right after he had come back home from NERV headquarters. I'll have to use the mail room in NERV to order myself a new one now, he thought. It was surprising, he reflected, that the pain he had felt earlier that day, when it seemed in his mind's eye that the world was coming to an end, had now become a simple void that silently ate away inside. A sense of guilt was also with in him, gnawing away at his heart, this despite how kind Auska had been with him earlier that afternoon while she sat with Shinji and listened through Shinji's litany of that days turmoil that had been caused by his father's revelations.  
  
Flashback  
  
Shinji is talking to Auska as both of them sit in his room amidst the reckage of his recently destroyed room. Shinji is no longer on the verge of hyperventilating thanks to Auska who has just gotten off of Shinji after twenty minutes of sitting on his back while holding his arm behind his shoulder.  
  
"Ok, now if you think you are ready to speak coherently lets try this again. Now, what do you mean Rei is an angel," Auska growled, as one hand moved to grasp her forehead as if it pained her.  
  
"HE said that they created her from angel and human genetic material. That is why she is alive, because she is like the Eva's, and she can will her body to heal itself."  
  
"But you said that she was practically road kill in that tube!"  
  
"Yes," Shinji said in a voice that indicated the self-loathing he felt. "You see it looks like I took control of her, the way we take control of the Evas. I used that gift we have to heal her body and make her act out the way I wanted her to."  
  
"And so? That doesn't make you a pervert. Trying to kiss me made you a pervert you idiot boy, but what you did was an accident and it saved Rei's life if any of what your father said is to be believed. Okay so you had a crush on her. That doesn't make any particular sense unless you are _really_ desperate, which come to think of it does make sense, but still, you had a crush. Rei is alive and she is probably lonely. Not even regarding what happened in the entry plug, now's probably your best chance to speak to her. The very worst she could do is say that she'll only go out with you if someone tells her to."  
  
End Flashback  
  
Shinji sighed, deciding that he would go and visit Rei tomorrow. But after what he did to her what in the world could he say to her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Well?"  
  
"All recent memories have been erased, sir."  
  
"Good. Inform the First Child that she is to remain inside of her original quarters until further ordered. She is to forget about any prior duties."  
  
"Yes sir," said Sub-Commander Fuyatsaki reluctantly. He had always privately loathed the way the Commander had penned Rei in that little cell, alone for so many years. Her entire existence as a matter of fact, until a year and a half ago.  
  
"Now," Gendo continued, "what is the status of Ritsuko's current assignment?"  
  
"Amazingly well all things considered. Contrary to our fears, there were enough fragments of the original structure of Rei's soul left in her AT Field that we could piece them together and make a complete copy. Due to the fact an Angel's soul can't usually be destroyed it will always have some place in the universe, at least on one of its levels, that will echo its existence. Having the wave patterns of Rei's soul consumed and corrupted by the Sixteenth Angel was one of the few things that could have destroyed the perfect form of Lilith. But the echoes of Rei's original state of existence resonated long enough on her for us to copy and recreate her soul. Creating an angels soul is impossible under most circumstances, but in this case all we did was fill a vacuum, so in this case it was just next to impossible. Ritsuko hasn't stopped yakking about how she is a goddess. I thought she was going to do a victory dance."  
  
"Excellent."  
  
"Ritsuko did give one word of warning though. She said that this copy of Rei was going to be a _very_ good copy of her."  
  
"Indeed?"  
  
"So if the original did have feelings for the Third Children. . ." The Sub- Commander left it hanging.  
  
Gendo scowled. "Well, can't she remove those memories as well?"  
  
"That was the first thing I asked, but she insisted that if we did that we not only risked corrupting the third Rei's wave patterns, but also the vacuum we pulled her from. She said, however, that this Rei will be different enough from the second one that any risk of predisposal for a romantic involvement with the Third Children is relatively minimal."  
  
"Good. And are the arrangements made for the Third Children's new living quarters? Yes, they will both be moved out of the Katsuragi house hold, by tomorrow."  
  
"Good, we need Shinji to be more controlled now more than ever since he is the last Eva pilot. The Major may find and share information with him that is best left out of his reach. Since killing her or isolating her will only make him more erratic and possibly cause him to turn on us this is the best possible option."  
  
"Yes sir. But do you really think that it was wise telling her that this was a punishment for her behavior earlier."  
  
"She needs to learn respect for her superiors. I won't have a major using that sort of language with me."  
  
"I think she was drunk."  
  
"That merely compounds her error."  
  
"She was off of duty."  
  
"No excuse. Besides, at least the apartment we will be providing him will be better. It is an ocean front property. And with a pay increase he will probably be fine."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Dismissed."  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Rei II opened her eyes. Where am I now, she wondered. Rei II looked around herself, and with a sudden sinking feeling she realized that she was home.  
  
"First Child".  
  
Rei immediately stood to attention, and realized that she was wearing only a hospital gown. She ignored this and stood to attention before the Sub- Commander. "Yes sir."  
  
"You are to remain in your present quarters until further ordered. This command comes directly from the Commander."  
  
"Yes sir." So this is how it ends for me. I sense her presence. He has finally cast me aside as I knew he would. What should this make me feel. This is the day I have longed for, but it is not the day that I have longed for. I am still alive. If he has found another to take my place than what is my purpose? Am I the flower now, living a meaningless life? What is my purpose?  
  
* * *  
  
Somewhere beneath NERV, a girl lying on a medical bed opened her eyes. Where am I, thought Rei III. In her abdomen a slow burning sensation began, making its way through out the rest of her body, causing her every cell to feel as if it were on fire. She shuddered, and hoped that the pain would not last long.  
  
  
  
**************************************************************************** **********  
  
Ok, I know a few of you are screaming 'boring'. Sorry. This is more, chap 2 ½. I wanted to build up to the next chap you see. There will be a lot of action and dialogue there, honest. This will be a Rei II vs. Rei III vs. possibly a female Kawrou. And before you think that it is a done deal for Rei II, you should know that Gendo was correct in his assessments concerning Rei II's actions. She was just acting out Shinji's fantasies of her. But who is to say what sort of mark that left on Rei's soul or the soul of the third Rei? At the very least it could help her to know that a door is open to her in Shinji's heart. I hope this story will be original. I will try to come out with a new chap sooner. And maybe a new Rei. or eight. y. 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Neon Genesis: Evangelion.  
  
Aaauuuggghhh. It has been so long. Sorry about the promise I made to have a new one out in a couple of days. I had a brand new exam to study for. I hope you like what I have written. Please understand that this is the first Romance that I have written. Danka.  
  
P.S. I don't know if this lives up to the /action/ part of my previous promise, but I like what I wrote.  
  
Misato looked at Shinji uneasily. The young boy was taking his transference to his new residence rather well or so it appeared. Misato had even offered to let him keep Pen-pen to help feel more at home but Shinji had insisted that wasn't necessary. And besides, Shinji knew that Misatos's precious penguin was practically family to her. So instead Shinji had decided he would order a pet and from a non-local newspaper and have it sent to him through NERV's channels. And thus now as Shinji examined his knew quarters, recently furnished with furniture that he had picked himself from a catalog he was followed closely in heel by an eight weeks old Welsh Corgi.  
  
Shinji, with as much grace as he could muster, navigated through the rooms, placing boxes down where appropriate, all while trying not to squash his new little friend.  
  
As Shinji put down the last of the moving boxes he had brought from the truck Misato looked at Shinji wanly. "Are sure you are going to be alright Shinji?"  
  
"I'll be alright Misato. I told you that being by myself is something that I can handle. You shouldn't worry about me."  
  
Misato looked at Shinji, now even more worried than before. Shinji was already beginning to slide back into his shell. Despite the exterior Shinji was trying to project for Misato the young Major sensed that Shinji was not at all happy about leaving his home with her. "If you need anything or just want to talk you can call me day or night Shinji. You and the other pilots are still the biggest part of my job so say the word and I'll be here Shinji. Don't be afraid to ask me for anything," Misato said, looking at Shinji with a soulful expression.  
  
"I believe he already understands this Major," said Rei from behind the Major, "you have repeated these offers to him already and I believe he is fully aware of his options."  
  
Without turning around Misato gritted her teeth and, with a force of will, she composed herself before turning around. Since coming out of the coma, Rei had apparently become even more distant than before; except towards Shinji at least. Misato had once felt a sense of sympathy for Rei's failures as a human being, but that was before the Commander had put an end to Kaji's life. Now all she could think of when she saw the bizarre, young albino was how she worshiped the person who had killed her man. Still, Misato had been trying to reign in those feelings ever since he saw Shinji holding Rei's hand the other day at Nerv. It was not until the day after when Misato helped Shinji start buying new furniture for the new apartment that he had been hastily forced to move into that she had managed to get the story out of him.  
* * *  
  
Shinji stood outside of the Pilot's Ward, the room specifically reserved for himself and for the other two Eva pilots. He had been standing outside of the door for a few minutes as he tried to think of the right words to say to her. 'What should I say? I don't even know what she thinks about me anymore. I've never known what she really thinks about anything period.' Shinji had no doubts as to what his father had told him, even if it sounded impossible Shinji in his heart knew that Rei had been acting out on his own impulses rather than her own. That thought alone filled him with a sense of sickness and a sense that he had violated her in someway, making him wonder if it was even appropriate for him to be here. But in the end, whether this was right or wrong, Shinji knew he had to try or else he would have to live with the memory that he had runaway once again. 'Never again. I wont runaway anymore. If I runaway what will I accomplish? If I try than at least I will have peace of mind, however somber that peace may be. But what do I say to her? How can I face her if my /father/ is right about how I used her like a doll? And what in the world do I say to her if he is wrong? While she was sleeping I was sure that the words would just come to me, but now that the doctors say that she's awake I'm drawing a completely blank inside.' Suddenly Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly, his right hand knotted into a fist; straightening himself, Shinji began to walk towards the direction of the Pilot's Ward with his head held high. Shinji decided he just had to do it and no amount of planning out what to say was going to help him. He just wanted to know what Rei really thought about him. If she did reject him than there would be life afterwards but whatever the outcome he wanted to go forward.  
  
Shinji smiled as he felt himself infused with a sense of resolve. 'There's nothing to be afraid of, Ayanami and I are friends after all so its not like she's going to just start laughing at me when I tell her how much I like her and want to be her boyfriend. I'm the only person besides the Old Man that she even cares about. And she died for me. No matter /what/ the Commander said, even he can't get around that fact. I probably could have been her boyfriend for months now if I had just thought to ask.' Shinji reached for the door handle and with that pushed the door open wide. The room was empty. Shinji looked at the empty room which seemed to smirk back at him with all its anticlimactic glory. Shinji's smile melted off his face. Closing his eyes, Shinji let out a deep sigh. After a moment his eyes flew open wide, once again invigorated with determination; purposefully Shinji turned around and walked off to find a nurse or physician or at least somebody who could tell him where he could find Rei. But try as he might, no matter how much he repeated to himself that everything was going to be fine and that he was more than up to the task, he could not deny that with in the pit of his stomach was an increasingly cold pain. As the strong, confident expression on his face became visibly strained Shinji increased his pace.  
_ _ _  
  
An hour later Shinji found Rei, dressed out in bandages, sitting in the cafeteria reading a pamphlet of some sort. Rei, as was typical of the young pilot, was so preoccupied with her current endeavor that she did not notice Shinji as he stared at her for a couple of moments just to the side of her a few paces off standing behind a table and a couple of chairs. Finally Shinji decided to make his move. Moving slowly but with purpose, his back straight and his head high, Shinji walked over to Rei. As he neared her table Rei continued to ignore him in favor of the thick pamphlet of papers that she was studying.  
  
"Rei, can we talk?" The moment the words were out of his mouth Shinji instinctively felt sure that they were the wrong ones. The sense of resolve and determination he had been feeling drained from him. Rei slowly put down her pamphlet and turned to look up to see Shinji standing over her trying desperately to hold on to a smile while struggling not to look to tense.  
  
"What would you like to talk about, Pilot Ikari?" 'Huh, can't she guess? I suppose if I /was/ the one controlling her actions than her memories would be hazy about the experience since she wasn't projecting any effort in to them. Plus she could have been unconscious at the time.' *Sigh* 'Doesn't matter, I guess. I still know that she must care about me some, so I'm past square one. Okay, focus.' "I just wanted to ask you about how you were." 'Dumb, dumb, dumb. She's got bandages on and her arm is in a sling, how do you /think/ she's doing.' "I mean, what did the doctors say." 'Okay that's better.' Rei regarded Shinji for a moment, an odd expression on her face, a mixture of slight disbelief and combined with an even greater amount of confusion and uncertainty. Then her face went blank again and her hands began to move towards the papers that she was reading.  
  
"The doctors have informed me that my injuries are mainly superficial and will be healed in a couple of days. I have a slightly torn ligament in my left arm and must be careful with it for the next two weeks." And with that Rei, who had by then retrieved her reading material, went back to studying it. Shinji, who was feeling beginning to feel a sense of relief and frustration all at once looked at what she was reading, hoping that he could start a conversation around it. The pamphlets back unfortunately was blank.  
  
"So what are you reading?"  
  
"I am studying the technical specifications of my next Eva."  
  
"What, there making another one?" 'Good,' Shinji thought. 'Eva is so important to her. It's the only way that she can feel that she isn't completely rejected by everyone. This thought brought back a memory to him, one of being absorbed along with his Eva into an angel of darkness. He remembered the conversation that he had with himself there and how the self which came from the angels perceptions had shown him that he piloted Eva for the praise and acceptance that being an Eva pilot brought him. Remembering this he decided that Rei's need for Eva was something that they had in common. "Congratulations Ayanami! I'm really happy for you."  
  
"..."  
  
"Um, Rei, I was, um hoping I could talk to you privately."  
  
". . . Very well." Rei took the pamphlet of papers in her good hand and stood up. And with that they turned and left the cafeteria.  
  
_ _ _  
  
Shinji at first led Rei on an aimlessly through out NERV. Despite the fact that they both went up and down several flights of stairs Rei never once spoke a work to Shinji as he tried to decide where to go. Finally, standing in a hallway that led to a dead end Shinji turned around deciding that they had gone far enough. No amount of walking was going to calm his uneasiness about this meeting. Something was wrong. He had noticed it when he had come in contact with Rei in the cafeteria. But what it was he could not decide on. And thus Shinji had walked through out the corridors of Nerv, trying to decide on what it was, to afraid to say anything until he had figured it out. But now, faced with a dead end that whose sign read 'RESTRICTED AREA! DO NOT ENTER! TURN AROUND AND LEAVE IMMEDIATELY! ALL TRESPASSER WILL BE SHOT! THIS MEANS YOU!' Shinji decided that he had gone as far as he could and so he turned around to face Rei who was wearing her usual blank expression on her face. He smiled at her and silently reminded himself why he needed to loosen up.  
  
"So, uh, Rei," *coughcough* 'loose, c'mon loose', "there was something else I wanted to ask you."  
  
Rei regarded Shinji with an expression that was completely neutral. Suddenly in a flash of insight Shinji realised what was wrong: Rei was treating him the way she treated others. Rei usually treated Shinji in a way that was unique for her. When it came to others (except for the commander) Rei acted entirely indifferent. But, when it came to Shinji, her attention, which was usually unfocused to at least a superficial extent, always seemed to subtly draw itself to Shinji whenever he was around. But now when he looked into her eyes he saw no sense of familiarity towards him, nor did he sense the understanding that the two had seemed to share before the Angel of Might had come into there lives. Rather what he saw was Rei treating him with the exact same regard that she gave to everyone else. Cold, neutral, emotionless. Shinji paled slightly, unsure of himself or what he should do now.  
  
"Rei, I would like to know what you think about me." Shinji looked at Rei, not sure of what to expect.  
  
Rei blinked once, for the first time showing some hint of emotion. "You are my fellow pilot, is there something else that I should feel," she asked softly.  
  
Suddenly all of the waves of doubt that Shinji had been suppressing started to crash down on him. Frustration, which led to a slight sense of anger, started to creep in. The last vestiges of the self assured exterior he had put on for Rei's benefit crumpled. Now Shinji stood there, standing in a lonely hallway, in a gigantic facility that was armed to the teeth with military personnel who were constantly on edge, standing before a girl that he had liked but whom he was now convinced didn't like him back, feeling more insignificant, embarrassed, and alone than he ever had in his entire life.  
  
"Look Rei, I guess. . . I don't know. It's just that I . . . uh. . ." Shinji suddenly decided to say it and be done with it. "I just wanted you to know that I like you. Sometimes I don't know what to say to you but I've always felt happier when you were around. It can be rough being an Eva pilot, but when I have friends like you around the burden seems lighter. I'm not sure how you feel, but I just wanted to tell you how I felt. Also, I've heard that the theater was reopening in a few days and I wanted to know if you would like to go out with me. I thought maybe we could have fun together." Shinji thought that his words sounded weak but was proud that he had done as well as he had. He felt like he was about to throw up Rei regarded Shinji with her usual blank expression, causing Shinji's feelings of pride to dissipate rapidly and instead be replaced with more feelings of frustration. What was /wrong/ with her? Was she angry with him? Did she know that he synched with her, controlled her, made her act out his fantasy the way she had? Suddenly Shinji, as Rei stared back at him silently, wished to be elsewhere. Far, far away from Nerv, Rei, Eva, his father, and everyone else.  
  
Suddenly Rei broke the silence. "Yes."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I would like to go out with you. I wish to be closer to you."  
  
From there Shinji and Rei discussed what time they would meet before the first upcoming performance and where.  
  
* * *  
  
Rei III looked at the Major from the corner of her eye as Shinji took the box of china plates from her. She knew that the Major disliked her and this bothered her somewhat. Not in a personal sense, but rather it bothered her in regards to how it might effect the perceptions that Shinji had towards her. Being near Shinji brought to her the some of the same feelings of familiarity and closeness that being near his father brought to her. Or had brought the other Rei at least. Rei III's memories from the previous Rei held a small handful of instances in which the previous Rei had received expressions of kindness and warmth from the Commander which brought the second Rei feelings of warmth and being needed. But what ever warmth the second Rei had received from the Commander she herself had not inherited it from the second. On the contrary, the Commander had been disturbed when he had first laid eyes on her back in the tank in one of Nerv's secret laboratories. He had asked her if she understood her purpose and when she said that she did he had turned around and left. He had not spoken to her since then, but rather he had instead communicated to her through Dr. Akagi and the Sub-Commander. Rei could only guess at what had left him so shaken. But in the Commanders absence the third Rei felt the emptiness that had composed most of the being of the second Rei at full force within her. Fortunately that vacuum had begun to be filled by Shinji almost as soon as she had come into existence. For the past couple of days Ikari-kun had been spending time with her, and though she herself had not been talkative she had done as best as she could to encourage his continued attention. Above all else she had remembered to smile for him. She remembered from Rei II's memory that when she talked to the Commander that she would smile for him to get the best effect from him. The same seemed to be true for Shinji.  
  
Rei heard the door open from down the hallway as Shinji appeared from his new room. "Rei, I need some help with getting the new TV upstairs. Could you help?"  
  
"Very well," Rei said, smiling at him, the same smile that the second Rei once used for the Commander, and was rewarded to see a shy smile returned to her.  
* * *  
  
'It wont end this way,' thought Rei II. Rei II could see through the eyes of her double and hear every word that she said or was spoken to her. Despite the fact that they made this Rei aware of the fact that she was an angel from the beginning of her existence the second Rei could sense that the third was a far weaker entity than she herself was. The Second took an odd amount of satisfaction in this fact. Even though she had been discarded it helped her inside to know that she was superior to this new entity. She was jealous of the third. This thought had come to her with a shock a couple days ago, but when it did come to her she knew it was the truth. Rei had examined this emotion when it had come, trying to ponder its meaning. At first Rei II had assumed that she was jealous of the third Rei for the Commander's affection, but she discounted this as she saw that the Commander had all but ignored the third just as he now ignored the existence of the second. She then assumed that she was jealous of her because she now had her duties as a pilot, and would have the link to the lilim that she so treasured. But no, she herself had sacrificed her precious Eva along with her own life. What exists that could be so important as to sacrifice these things? Shinji. Rei had not realized just how much she had drawn from him if only as a warm and stable place in her life until almost a week of being locked down here had begun to sink in. She herself had admitted that she knew nothing what sort of person the Commander was. Deep down she suspected that the smiles which he gave her had been false, the warmth she received was merely an illusion.  
  
And thus she concluded, that Shinji was literally the only person in the world that she could truly trust. She had been willing to die for him because she felt a bond with him that more real than the ones which she invented in some fashion or other. And for his part, Shinji had even begun trying to initiate a relationship with this forgery after her selfless act because he had thought that the third Rei was the one he had known and come to care about.  
  
To be wanted was an almost alien feeling to the second Rei, who had always been an outcast to others. Even the Commander did not hide the fact that he saw Rei as a tool, however prized. But to know that someone did value her for what was inside her and was now giving that warmth to another was something that Rei II found maddening in her confinement. The intensity of this emotion almost scared her, and she attributed it to the way in which the Angel of Might had forced her to confront her emotions.  
  
But what was she to do? She could not leave this cell. The Commander and SEELE would never give her peace. Rei thought about this and flexed her AT field with in while she brain stormed. Meditation and practice seemed to help exercise it and give it better utility, even if all she did was merely investigate the relations between the atoms in her fork, thus causing her to suspect that use of her AT field was mostly instinctive and could be thoroughly mastered with time.  
  
Rei cast her senses to where the third Rei was now, apparently she and Shinji were enjoying an interesting conversation about the movie they wanted to go see when the theater reopened.  
  
Rei, sickened, directed her senses elsewhere. She sensed that one of her 'sisters' had just been removed from dummy plug and was being released back into the tank. Wondering what sort of state it was now in she directed her senses into the empty vessel. Her senses flowed gently into the body, which, as it lacked soul, was a simple matter of entering and scanning. All in all, the body was in descent shape, apparently the test for it had not been anything strenuous. Through her connection to it through her AT field Rei intensified her connection to the clone and flexed its hands into a fist and stretched its body. Slowly its eyes opened and Rei was able to see through them. It seemed to be in good shape. Rei was about to let her senses drift back to where she was when suddenly inspiration struck like a thunder bolt. For the first time in her life, Rei let a grin slowly appear on her face.  
  
* * *  
Rei III and Shinji walked to school. It was still slightly damaged, but enough students had returned or stayed to warrant reopening it, although parts of it were closed off. Fortunately there were not /that/ many students left so there was still plenty of room to go around.  
  
Shinji glanced at Rei III as the two of them reached the school and began walking up the stairs. She was looking distant now, but at least she was smiling, although he sensed that it was a smile that she merely put up for his benefit instead of any emotion she was feeling. Trying to get close to her was hard, although Shinji still wanted to try.  
  
"Hey, dumpkhof, will you and wonder girl hurry up? Class is starting." Shinji glanced up the stairs to see Auska standing above him glowering.  
  
"Yeah, coming."  
  
"Hurry up. You have just GOT to see the new girl. I think Rei must have a sister or something."  
  
Rei's head jerked up incredulously at Auska's words. Grabbing Shinji's hand she ran up the stairs half dragging him behind her. She stopped at the doorway of the class, her eyes wide at the spectacle before her. Shinji, who was paying no mind to this, but rather, had his attention focused on the cracks in the classroom and thus didn't notice the odd child standing before the rest of the class while they gawked at her.  
  
The instructor cleared his throat and then said "students take your seats. We have a new student today." Shinji turned his eyes to the new students general direction and froze. The student standing before him was roughly his own age, but the similarities ended there. The student was a girl with deep crimson eyes, grey to near silver hair, and skin so pail that she was clearly an albino. The girl smiled before the other students, and Shinji thought that she seemed to be looking at him in particular.  
  
"Hello, my name is Kawru Nagisa. It's a pleasure to meet all of you." 


	5. Chapter 5

I am so sorry for not writing for a while. Truth is I haven't even looked at the review for this story for a while. See I promised to fix some things with the last chapter and that I would produce this one sooner. Now its been months. All I can say is that life has sucked and I have been short on inspiration. I just hope you enjoy this. I dedicate this story to PitViper, Bloody Angel, Shinji the good sharer, Ryan Xavier, and my all of my other favorite writers. Special dedication goes to Optimus Magnus and apologies for not reading his story yet. Lately I just haven't had much stamina for anything but work and school so I haven't even been able to start brand new stories I wasn't already into. Also I haven't checked my review board because I half suspected several people were going to be so pissed at me for breaking my promises to revise and update my stories that I was going to be flamed six way to Sunday. I will try to read all that you have written very soon and review it. Also, I /will/ get to revising all of my chapters. Eventually. I am currently buried under a body-crushing load of paper work and responsibilities right now.  
  
Also, with that said, I'd like to point out to anyone who may wonder why Shinji is so depressed that a person can be happy, as Shinji had been for the past few days with Rei, but still be somewhat angsty and just not show it. He was forced to leave a family member at a time when he was becoming somewhat frayed around the edges. Especially having found out from the Angel that was a living Sea of Dirac that his father had something to do with his mother's death.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________  
  
"Shinji," Misato cried. Shinji lay on the floor, LCL and other nameless substances dripping off of his bare skin. Misato scrambled to his side and embraced him as Ritsuko gaped at the sight she beheld.  
  
"That is enough," said Keel, and instantly the feed was stopped and the monoliths once again reappeared, numbered one through twelve, fashioned after Christ's apostles.  
  
"So," said the ninth monolith, "we are on schedule as far as the third child is concerned.  
  
"Yes," replied the second, "'no man shall enter the kingdom of God lest he be born twice'. The third pilot was an interesting subject before his rebirth, one who upon examination of events surrounding him presented us several mysteries to ponder. But whatever potentials he may have had even as an ordinary human are magnified ten-fold in the aftermath of his rebirth. As one whose body and soul were imbued and to an extent composed from the discharge that followed Adam's reverting into an embryo he was an ideal candidate for an Eva Pilot. But as merely human he could never have been suitable for our scenario. Now that he is now reborn of a new flesh he will be a key stone of the instrumentality that shall lead us to God." said the second monolith.  
  
"Yes, but aren't we taking a risk in leaving all of this in the care of one man. One which we know cannot be trusted?" This from the eighth monolith.  
  
"That is why we are going to relieve him of one of the components to his scenario," said Keel.  
  
"Indeed?" "What" "Please explain," came the replies from his colleagues.  
  
"The first child need no longer remain with Ikari now that her Eva Unit has been destroyed. And she is too dangerous to us in his hands. We shall simply eliminate her and take her remains back in to our custody. If at all possible we shall try to take her soul back as well. We can use both of them to perfect the MP series. "  
  
"So," asked the ninth, "what will that gain us when they can simply create yet another angel to take her place."  
  
"That is no longer possible. It was virtually impossible to begin with, but even so it is now completely impossible. The souls of angels can only be created when the universe is still trying to sort out the paradox that occurs when an indestructible being is slain or in some other way removed from creation. It tries to comprehend something that is akin to an unstoppable force impacting an immovable object. Each angel brings with it a destiny that proclaims it to be both eternal and unstoppable. Even the universe recognizes this divine proclamation as a part of its own inherent destiny. The physical laws of the universe alter slightly with the introduction of each new angel as it has already accepted its conquest and the destruction of humanity as preordained and settles itself into a pattern that is founded on the acceptance that the angel has in effect already won. If it were not for the fact that we have man-made replicas of heavens instruments on our side their victory /would/ be in evitable. Instead, when they are eventually defeated the universe recoils slightly and its laws become momentarily mutable during its confusion. When we try to imitate the patterns of an angel the universe can sometimes be convinced that it is real. At least until the next angel arrives when the process starts all over again, and the universe is then thrown into confusion once more when that angel is destroyed as well. But the final angel has now awakened and so the universe will no longer allow humans to slip artificial angels through its cracks. It knows that God has sent his final messenger, and so now creation awaits its renewal. And once creation has suffered its final slap in the face with the death of God's final messenger it will be forced to except humanities voice as equal to God's. Humanity will then be ready for its ascension; once we are joined within a single divine flesh we shall then truly inherit the heavens as well as the earth and shall exist as God's true heirs as He intended."  
  
"Yes," said the fifth monolith," we need the universe's submission to our will first before we can go forward; it is one of the most vital of all of the components."  
  
"I am grateful for the fourteen year gap we have had which gave us the time we needed to develop the Eva series," said the fourth monolith.  
  
"And for those gaps in between angel attacks in which we created the cores for the Mass Produced Evas," said Keel absently, lost in silent revelry.  
  
"So, now we wait for the last angel to attack. Once he is defeated as well we can go forward,"said the fifth monolith.  
  
"Have you constructed a shell that is suitable to house an angel's soul," asked the ninth monolith, "if we could take the first pilot's soul it would truly be a boon for our scenario."  
  
"Yes," said Keel, "all is nearing completion. We shall take from Ikari what he needs to betray us and ensure that we have the means before us to complete our scenario. It has been so long that I have dreamed of reaching the end that now that I can see it before me I almost cannot believe it."  
  
"Soon all shall be one," chanted the committee as they faded out.  
  
  
  
  
  
Shinji lay on his bed, drifting somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. It was not time for school yet he assured himself, although his alarm clock soon disagreed with him on that matter. Shinji was fully roused to wakefulness when a large wet tongue began licking his face, and the sound of Ro'oshi's whimpering filled Shinji's ears. Shinji sighed; slowly he wiped his face and then opened his eyes, groaning, he pulled his body out of his bed. Shinji's looked down at his dog. Now that his master was up Ro'oshi stopped wimpering and began to yap loudly as he wagged his stubby tail. Shinji looked down at the small puppy and scratched Ro'oshi behind his ears. Ro'oshi barked happily and followed Shinji as he left for the kitchen.  
  
Shinji's new apartment was large. Actually, it was very large. And it was mostly vacant although not so much as compared to the rest of the building which had been forced to close down before it could even open. When the investment board responsible for its construction had first brought together its proposal to build a high price apartment condominium NERV had permitted its construction, even though it was only a few miles from its mountain head quarters. It was not even quite finished when the first angel had arrived, and once it had Commander Ikari had ordered it, along with a string of other urban sites next to it, to vacate immediately due to its close proximity to NERV. Despite this, its most extravagant rooms were still deemed safe enough by the NERV Commander for himself, the Sub- Commander, Ritsuko, and a couple of other doctors to live in along with a swarm of NERV agents who served as body guards and security. The buildings only problem was a minor lack of wiring in some of the middle floors as well as a lack of carpeting in what would have been the main office now turned NERV security Center as well a host of other small problems. In return, NERV paid the outraged investors a small fraction of what the building was actually worth. This had lasted until the Sub-Commander disappeared for about a week after which Shinji had heard that his father and the Sub-Commander and Ritsuko had all moved into NERV headquarters.  
  
Shinji appreciated the vast emptiness of his new home, the way his way his voice echoed back to him in hollow tones from off the walls and the way the walls themselves, widely spread apart in the living room, especially when compared to Misato's compact apartment, made the entire apartment feel so blank. In a somber way; it struck a cord within him. Shinji suspected it was because it reminded him what still lay at his center. It also reminded him of the way he had lived before Misato had taken him in. Misato, however, did not like the apartment when she first laid eyes on it, and for the same reason that Shinji had found it so morbidly appealing. She began to use money from out of her own pocket to buy things such as a coffee table and chairs and even paintings for the walls and drapes for the windows. When he saw her online trying to find some posters for his room and eyeing a few that were, in a word, indecent, Shinji decided that he needed to step up to the situation before his home looked like Kaji's, especially since he was sure that she would go bankrupt before she managed to achieve this goal.  
  
Now that he was in the kitchen Shinji gave his dog fresh food and water and then began to prepare his own breakfast and lunch. Shinji wondered if Auska was now preparing food for herself now or if she simply bought her food from the cafeteria now that. It felt so empty without the sounds of human life. Shinji couldn't help but take a certain pleasure in this. It sickened him but somehow he almost enjoyed this emptiness inside of him. /What is the matter with me/, Shinji thought. /Why do I take such perverse happiness in this growing void within me? I have friends. I even have a girlfriend! Most of my classmates are eating out their livers because I got one of the Eva girls as a girlfriend. What the hell is wrong with me? I should feel like million bucks!/ But the feelings of emptiness didn't leave him. Despite having Rei for a girlfriend, despite the fact that he saw Misato and Auska everyday, although he could only see Misato at work now, in the last few days the only thing he could think was that he wanted to be left alone. After a few moments he finished making Rei a meal, put it beside his in a bag, gathered his things and headed for the door. Shinji patted Ro'oshi on the head and left his apartment.  
  
As Shinji walked to school he pondered on his feelings and why they were so bleak. /Its because I moved out of Misato's apartment, duh./ Shinji knew that to be true, but why did these feelings he have bother him so much now? Once feeling isolated was almost pleasant to him. It meant that know one would hurt him. Always being alone had left a void with in him, certainly, but he could fill that void with opera and his cello. And being isolated now still felt as pleasant as before, maybe even more now, but for the first time it also began to bother him that he could enjoy it. /I thought that now that I had a girlfriend to hang around with and stuff that it would be different, that /I/ would be different. I keep hearing how its supposed to be great, and it is, sort of, so why do I feel as empty as I ever have./  
  
/Its because for the first time in my life I felt completely safe and then I was forced to leave. I enjoy being alone now because in a twisted way all of my fears have been justified. I've been hurt and cast out once more. Just as it was before I am alone again./ These thoughts came unbidden from Shinji's mind and he immediately knew it to be true. With his head slightly slumped down, he continued to walk to school.  
  
When he got to the school steps he heard a voice call out to him from behind. "Shinji".  
  
Shinji, still depressed, turned around to see Auska staring at him oddly. "What the hell is the matter with you," asked Auska in an annoyed voice.  
  
"Couldn't sleep," he lied.  
  
"You look like shit. Anyways, Rei isn't here today. She's doing a bunch of tests with your father and she asked Misato on her way to your father's office to please tell you she won't be back for a couple of days."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"Hurry up, Baka. The bell is about to ring."  
  
"Fine," said Shinji, avoiding her eyes.  
  
Auska looked at Shinji in a mixture of pity and disgust and walked up the steps.  
  
Shinji stood there a moment trying to think about what he should do. He considered going to the school nurse and telling her that he felt sick and that he was going home. He decided that he would do just that and ignored the school bell as it began to ring.  
  
Auska yawned as she looked out the window next to her. It was Rei's window, or at least, that was what most kids in her class called it, but since Rei wasn't going to be here Auska decided that it shouldn't go to waste. She could tell by looking at the clouds outside and by the very feel of the air that it was going to rain any second now. She sighed as the school bell rang, seeing that Shinji hadn't made it to class yet. /What's with the baka? You'd think someone had died with that look on his face./ Auska knew that he was going to be hurt by having to move out, but for the past few days he had not seemed to have been so bothered by it. /Maybe having Rei around for the past few days has kept him distracted from thinking about how really feels inside./ Auska knew that while it was a point of pride for her to not need anyone, Shinji may not have shared that sense of independence. Auska had sensed when she arrived to live with the Major that there was a sort of family dynamics already set up between the two, but she had never taken the time to try and understand just how he and the Major had interacted. Auska wondered if the Major was as depressed about being separated as Shinji was.  
  
Auska's line of thought was broken by the sound of the sensei walking through the classroom door which was immediately followed by Hikari's voice as she led the students through the usual sit up, bow, sit down ritual.  
  
After the class was settled down the sensei began to regale the class of his usual horror stories of Third Impact, most of which, Auska knew, was fiction invented by the world's government's to hide the truth. As the sensei's voice lulled Auska into a semi awake state another one of her classmates was not taking Shinji's absence as easily as Auska was.  
  
/Shinji, will not going to come into class today/, thought Kawru, who in reality was really Rei II. Rei II was controlling one of her sisters, one that she had dissolved into a form of pure light, after blocking NERV's sensors of course, and caused to slide between the particles of the geofront and from there on into the world above it. But Rei II was trying to remember that if she thought in terms of being Rei II, her cover, meager though it might be, could be ruined. And thus she thought of herself in terms of her assumed identity: Kawru Nagisa, a schoolgirl who appeared at the school one day with all of the paperwork needed for her transfer in hand. With but the tiniest caress of her AT field across the minds of certain people in the school administration office it was determined that it was best if she were placed into the same class as the three Eva pilots. So now Kawru, as Rei II thought of herself, was to win the affection of Shinji. The fact that Rei III was not showing up to class made things a little bit simpler, but not if Shinji wasn't going to be here either. From where she sat in the classroom she could feel the conversation going on downstairs between Shinji and the school nurse. Shinji was telling her that he was noxious from the substance that they fill his Eva Unit with and that he needed to go home. The school nurse agreed and signed a sick form for Shinji, then she told him he could leave.  
  
/If he is leaving than I wish to follow. His soul is troubled and I wish to give it solace. Whether he knows it or not he is calling me to him/, and with that thought on the front of her mind Kawru walked out of the classroom, her briefcase in hand. When Kawru made it out of the school's main door Shinji was already a ways up the street; Kawru looked after him for a moment and then turned and headed to the school bike rack.  
  
When she had first been removed from NERV headquarters to act as Rei II's vessel, she had been naked, alone, and without any form of outside resources to draw from. Her first objective was to solve two of those problems by sifting through the wreckage of the houses that had been destroyed during the battle against the fifteenth angel. She avoided taking the things in the scorched houses she sifted through that looked like they possessed things that could be salvaged by the inhabitants, but the things that were ruined beyond any hope of repair she claimed for herself. Some ruined clothes that had been scorched in a house fire, and a bicycle that had been twisted and burnt almost beyond recognition constituted the majority of her prizes so far. Repairing the bicycle with her AT field had been easy enough, it was a girl's bicycle with purple and pink coloring, but the close had been a drain for all of the precision that it had required from her.  
  
The bicycle seemed like a logical tool to salvage as it presented her with a way of moving about quickly that did not require money or that drew the attention of others. Also it was capable of carrying two people due to a bicycle accessory screwed on to the back wheels, a thing that Kawru had liked and now could put a use to.  
  
Kawru pulled out her bike from the rack, and as she tossed one leg over it she sensed a consciousness directed at her. She turned her head upward to where she sensed the thoughts concerning her. Back against the back drop of black clouds against a dark grey sky and inside a cracked building Kawru saw Auska staring down at her. She stared back at Auska, wondering if she could sense who she really was. A loud drop of rain falling on the pavement in front of her turned her attentions back onto the matter at hand. She put her feet on the bicycle pedals and followed after Shinji.  
  
From her vantage point at the window, Auska watched as the new girl pedaled her bike after Shinji, and suspected at least that the new girl had feelings for Shinji. Not to surprising given his international fame. /Dumpkhof/, thought Auska, who turned her face away from the window and back to the classroom.  
  
Up the street, Shinji walked home, almost oblivious and completely indifferent to the sharp, cold wind that blew out from the sea and whipped around his form. The trees along the side walk rustled loudly and bent ever so slightly to the wind and softly groaned from the force. Little by little it began to hale.  
  
"Ikari-kun", came a voice from behind Shinji.  
  
Shinji turned and stared at Kawru who was slowly pedaling beside him.  
  
"Ikari-kun, you should go indoors when the whether is like this, please let me take you home."  
  
Shinji stared at her, still astonished at how much she looked like Rei, and yet so very different in expression. Kawru, for her part simply smiled at Shinji in a serene manner, although not as carefree as she did the day before when she first introduced herself to Shinji's class. Now she was smiling, but obviously concerned for Shinji's welfare.  
  
"Um, thanks. . . but . . . I am not allowed to bring people in to my apartment."  
  
Kawru's smile tightened slightly at this, but she recovered immediately. "Then I will not come inside. I do not mind, I simply want to make sure you get home alright."  
  
Shinji looked at her, somewhat shaken by this strange young girls words. "Why do you care?" Shinji knew those were the absolutely wrong words to say, but his mood was frayed and he couldn't help but be suspicious at someone who acted this caring towards him without a reason.  
  
"I care because you are you, and I am me."  
  
"W-what? What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Merely that I will help you whenever I can."  
  
Rain and the odd hailstone showered down upon the two, causing Shinji to shiver.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Kawru did not answer but instead extended her hand and took Shinji's in her own, and half led, half dragged Shinji onto the back of her bike. Once he was firmly situated Kawru began peddling into the direction that Shinji had been walking towards.  
  
"Where is your home," asked Kawru as she pedaled, trying to pick up the pace. Shinji told her and Kawru headed towards his apartment./Ah, so Shinji lives in the Commander's former residence. I wonder why the Commander put him there./  
  
The rain poured down like a great deluge upon the two, and twice Kawru nearly made a slip on the sidewalk that would have sent the two sprawling into the pavement if not flat out in to the traffic. The two were thoroughly soaked when Shinji's apartment was at last in sight and more than once Shinji found that with the twists and turns Kawru had made getting Shinji to his home his rain soaked hands had slid perilously high up Kawru's middle. In each instance Shinji had given a little yelp, although Kawru acted as if she hadn't noticed, and slid his hands back down to Kawru's waist and very nearly lost his grip in the process.  
  
"Be careful, Ikari-kun, it would be easy for you to become injured if you slipped."  
  
"Sorry," Shinji squeaked weakly, tired, dazed, and more than just a little confused.  
  
"We are here."  
  
"Come in to the lobby with me. I'll try to get you permission to come in with me."  
  
"Thank you, Ikari-kun."  
  
  
  
Four minutes later. . .  
  
tap^tap^tap "Excuse me, um, hello," Shinji looked around through the security window. Though he could have gotten Kawru and himself through the security door with his security card, he had been warned against taking friends into his apartment. He had been informed by the person who gave him a quick tour of the building that if any strangers were spotted past the security entrance they would likely be shot on sight, even if they were conversing with him, unless they were given special clearance. What exactly 'special clearance' meant was not clear to him, so he decided to try and talk to the security guards that were currently on patrol.  
  
"Hello," called Shinji again.  
  
"What do you want," came the reply from a fat security guard that walked into Shinji's view from the side he stood on the bullet proof window.  
  
"I have a friend here with me, would you please let her come upstairs to my room."  
  
"Huh?"From behind Shinji, Kawru walked into view. Her hair looked lovely, even if it was soaked. Her clothes were drenched and pressing themselves against her skin, giving a fairly good outline of her body.  
  
The Security guard grinned at Shinji. /Hoo, boy. Just like his father,/ thought the security guard, who's name was Armasa, while he recalled the girls that he had given the pass to when the Commander and a few of his top people had lived in the building. In each instance it was the same: they didn't technically exist, at least security wise. The guard had always wondered if that blonde haired woman that lived there with the Commander had ever, or would ever, figure out that the man she was living with was cheating on her constantly. He also wondered if she would have even cared. It wasn't that she hadn't looked dignified and all that crap, it was just that Armasha recognized the look of a woman who was ready to settle for less. He was married to one himself. /Heh, well I guess if its like that then it's the same procedure: she aint really here, especially if another woman asks. Glad that at least this kid seems to like a little variety, the last Ikari always had his women look exactly the same. Crap, who pays a woman to put on a /brown/ wig any how? Now grayish silver is kinda original/.  
  
"Okay kid, I know da drill," said the security guard, grinning at Shinji with a grin that left him utterly baffled, and with an appraising glance at Kawru that left him feeling uncomfortable. Kawru, for her part was well aware of what the security guard was thinking, and not just because she had extended her AT field over his soul in the event he needed to be influenced. She was well aware of the Commander's disloyalty to Ritsuko, she had assisted the Commander in maintaining his alibis when necessary, and also aware of what the security guard thought. Not that she cared as that it had gotten her into the apartment.  
  
Inside Shinji's apartment Rooshi was barking madly at the new stranger as Shinji led Kawru to the bathroom so she could dry herself off.  
  
"Um, I have an idea. If you take a hot bath right now I could take me your wet clothes and put them in the dryer for you."Shinji blushed as he said this, looking down a little.  
  
"Thank you," said Kawru as she reached for the red bow of her school uniform.  
  
Shinji stared at Kawru for a second, and then realizing that she was serious he quickly spun around and kept his eyes front and center. Or that was the goal at any rate. /I wonder if all albinos are like this./ When he heard the door click behind him he cautiously turned around and seeing that Kawru was not behind him he carefully gathered her clothes and took them to his dryer. Once he had them on their way to being dry he went into the kitchen to prepare hot ramen for himself and his guest.  
  
In the bathroom Kawru lay in the bathtub as pale wisps of steam rose up all around her. After being drenched in icy rain this was a luxury that she wished to savor. However one upsetting fact prevented her from truly enjoying herself. /Ikari-kun does not sense who I am yet. Should I reveal myself to him. No. He is tired of his life from Eva. He wants release from it and so if he understood what I was he would desire release from me. I must show him the truth about himself. Then all will be clear to him./ Kawru smiled to herself. She smiled to herself and lifted herself up from the bathtub. She picked out a towel for herself out of the bathroom cabinet and began drying off. Outside she heard a loud crash and the dog barking hysterically. Immediately Kawru flexed her AT Field and sensed that Shinji was well. Still he was concerned about something and so she stepped out of the bathroom, with her towel wrapped loosely about her shoulders, to go and see if there was anything she could do. Kawru gave out a small giggle, /deja vu Shinji. Lets see if this helps you recognize me./  
  
Downstairs a women's voice called out in an authoritative manner to the security guard behind the desk. "Excuse me, please let me through. I am here to the Third Child."  
  
"Who are you, lady?"  
  
The woman did show any visible signs of annoyance at being called 'lady' which surprised the security guard some. The red head beside her now, she looked like she was born angry, which didn't make her look any less cute. The security guard faded out on that thought and it was the woman's voice that brought him back.  
  
"I am Major Katsuragi, I am here to see Shinji-kun."  
  
/Ah, shit. This aint never happened with his daddy. She's his superior, so do I let her in or not?/  
  
"Well," said the Major impatiently.  
  
"Open the damn door you baka," shouted the red head.  
  
/Shit. I wonder if that's his girlfriend. With an attitude like that I can see why he'd want a little something on the side./ "Uh, mam, I'm not exactly sure if I'm supposed to let you in. I . . . uh. My superiors ordered me to. . . "  
  
"Your superiors answer to /me/, just like you do. Open the %^@%@ door now!" The woman was obviously pissed off at him now.  
  
"Uh, I think he has some company right now. You know he's got a guest. Are you absolutely /sure/ you don't want to just leave a message?"  
  
"What? Nobody is supposed to be up there with him! Who the hell else is up there? He was told specifically that if either Toji or Kensuke entered past the secure point in this building they'd likely be shot. Who gave Shinji permission to take someone up there?!?" The woman's voice was filled with rage and a hint of worry, apparently the idea of who ever those two people she named being hurt filled her with a bit of dread.  
  
"Uh, well, you see, it's a special circumstance ma'am." The woman's eyes lanced him with a glance. "Why?"  
  
To be continued.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________  
  
I'd like to point out to anyone who may wonder why Shinji is so depressed that a person can be happy, as Shinji had been for the past few days with Rei, but still be somewhat angsty and just not show it. He was forced to leave his only family member, Misato treats Shinji like family, something that is totally new to him, at a time when he was becoming somewhat frayed around the edges. Especially having found out from the Angel that was a living Sea of Dirac that his father had something to do with his mother's death. Remember, he may have liked Rei from a distance, but he had been living with Misato and had received a great deal of strength and words of encouragement from her. Thus I don't think I took him out of his character much. I hope you enjoyed the story! 


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own NGE. To bad. This will be my last chap. I suspect until I have had a chance to clean up my previous chapters. Thank you all for your positive reviews as well as the ones that offered helpful advice. They are what lets me know that I should continue writing. :  
  
"Ikari."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"It is time."  
  
"If you wish.  
  
Keel stood before the Commander of NERV, in the Commander's own office, over head the sepheroth was carved onto the ceiling, representing all that the committee, and the Commander himself, struggled to bring into fruition. As Keel stood before Gendou, he analyzed him, trying to deduce what he was planning. For though he had seen many dark acts during his endless life, even Keel, who had known Ikari since he began manipulating one of his descendants to gain access to SEELE, was a little taken aback at how easily Ikari was permitting his doll to be destroyed considering that, by all accounts, false angel worshiped the Commander as her creator.  
  
Though Keel was sure that he was more than capable of it, he was also sure that such a level of control which Gendou wielded over Lilith's heir was not something he would relinquish without a fight. Everything about this situation reeked of duplicity on Ikari's part, and so Keel had decided to witness the destruction of the former pilot of the lost Unit-00 first hand. He had also come to collect her soul. After her light was suitably scrambled, the young angel would be a completely new entity, one ready to obey a new master. Though Keel was sure Ikari did not know fully know how deep the differences between them were, Keel's cursed flesh was no longer mortal, but rather something distantly similar to angelic flesh, at least to the extent that organic matter could be to materialized light. Though it was no substitute by any stretch for what the pilot of the Unit-01 model had gone through, his own bizarre nature would allow Keel to be able to sense whether this was truly the artificial angel that he had instructed Ikari to create ten years ago or if it was simply some girl that the Commander had dragged off the street and altered to appear and behave as the creature he had named Ayanami, Rei.  
  
Gendou walked from behind his desk and past the leader of SEELE, leading them both out of the office and to the elevator. Once they reached the bottom of the elevator's shaft they walked slowly through the cavern below to a lab room that had been carved into the stone wall of the cave. From inside the lab room they approached a small door at its side. Gendo reached for the knob of the door and turned it.  
  
  
  
"Rei, do you understand?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Will you follow your orders and carry out your final mission?"  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Gendou stood and faced Rei, trying to understand what was going on her mind. He was fairly sure that he knew but he had to be certain. "Why"  
  
Rei II actually smiled at him with an adoring expression on her face and she clasped her hands together. "Because you created me."  
  
Gendou smiled at her and turned away. His smile immediately became a sneer when his back was turned to her and that deep rumble that passed as a chuckle could be heard as he walked out of her bare little room. /I must be better than I thought/, pondered Gendo as he went back to the elevator.  
  
  
  
Keel scowled at Gendo as the two of them walked into the lab room and towards the small little door at the side. Keel leaned heavily against his cane, an ivory walking stick with a metal tip at the end. The ivory was made from the tusk of a long extinct species of elephant, but the metal tip was so much more valuable by comparison that it seemed oddly out of place on the cane. The metal tip of his cane had once been the bloody end of a spear. Specifically the spear that was used by one of his long dead comrades to finish off the dying man on the cross so many years ago. He, along with a couple other Roman soldiers hoisted the man's cross up along with several others on that day and divided his clothes amongst each other by lots just as they had with so many others. Keel, during that time thought nothing of it, at least not until the sky had turned black and the earth shook and writhed underfoot. Keel knew, then, at that moment when it felt as if all light in the universe had been blotted out, that he and his fellow soldiers had committed a terrible sin for which no god, Mars, Zeus, or any other, would easily forgive. Unlike his fellow soldiers who had participated in the sin, the god he had helped slay apparently chose him, the soldier who had spat upon him while on the cross, to pay for that sin through service, forcing him to live beyond what a human should normally be able to endure, either physically or mentally, until humanity had faced the time of judgement that he had prophesied. Though his body was now well equipped to live beyond a normal human's means and he had shortly rejoiced at his immortality, at his core he now felt all two thousand of his years and wanted nothing more now than absolution for his sin so that he might finally rest. But absolution for his sin would only come if he was successful in leading humanity to its final destiny. Keel gripped his ivory cane tightly and walked through the door as Gendo held it open for him.  
  
Inside Keel surveyed the room. This took about a two seconds, as he immediately saw that the room was so tiny and bare that there was not really much to say about it other than it appeared bleak, as if it was designed for the sole purpose of keeping its occupants soul thoroughly crushed. One of the rooms features, aside from the sink and the door it was the rooms only feature, was a small cot, and on it lay Rei II. Keel stared at the girl, stretching forth the same senses that allowed him to track down Adam and Lilith, and felt the angelic nature of the girl who lay on the cot before him. Keel frowned as he sensed something about her that wasn't there the last time he had examined this creature. "What's this that I feel, Ikari? Why do I sense one of Adam's brood here before us instead of one of Lilith's?"  
  
"She was defiled by the sixteenth angel, and her soul was corrupted from it."  
  
"WHAT," shrieked Keel. /No, this isn't happening. No. I must keep my head. I prepared for something like this. Everything will be fine./ "And what of Eva Unit - 01?"  
  
"It never came into physical contact with that particular angel, it does not suffer from any such afflictions."  
  
"Good, than we can still use her as a back up. She is to remain in cryo- stasis, frozen in balkalite."  
  
"Understood."  
  
Eva Unit - 01's soul was from a human, thus making the likelihood of success less likely now. Fortunately, its weaknesses could be compensated over time, something Keel would have in abundance once the final angel was destroyed.  
  
"It's a good thing I got here when I did then. She should have been destroyed immediately. Perhaps her soul can still be of use to us."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Wake her."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"No need, I am already awake." Rei II opened her eyes and fixed the two humans before her with a look that spelt out their doom in nice, block letters.  
  
"Rei," Gendo gasped out in shock. The last thing he thought before his entire body dissolved into LCL was /this isn't Rei/.  
  
Keel looked at the liquid remains of his former colleague and great- something grandson in law, an expression of outrage on his face. Rei slowly sat up and turned her head to face Keel, a small, cruel smile played on her lips. Keel inwardly trembled but two thousand years taught you nothing if not how to control one's own impulses, and so Keel outwardly kept up a prose of calmness. "You can't hurt me girl. I am unable to die until the day of humanities judgement. There is nothing you can do."  
  
"No?"  
  
"Can you overcome one of God's divine edicts?"  
  
"No, but I do not require you to die for my own scenario to come to fruition." And as Rei spoke Keel began to feel a cloud come over his mind.  
  
Keel screamed only once before he felt all that which made him himself snuffed out forever.  
  
Ten minutes later:  
  
Keel rode the elevator, satisfied that what had happened was for the best. Though Ikari had died in the struggle, he had brought the tip of his cane down over the girl's head destroying her forever. And though retrieving her soul was now lost, all things considered things worked out for the best. Ikari was dead, he would have the Sub-Commander take his place, and that would put an end to any fears that his scenario would be usurped.  
  
Back down below:  
  
Rei looked at the remains of the Commander, her face now having returned to that blank, unreadable look that she was so well known for. She had not really been planning on killing him, but something had just seemed to take over from within her. She shuddered at this thought, and returned to her cot, once again living out her life through the consciousness that she had bestowed upon Karou who was now running on a sort of semi auto-pilot of which only required a modicum of Rei's own attention. Soon this would not be necessary she told herself. Soon, she would be with Shinji, the only person to ever see her as a person instead of a tool or bizarre creature. She would be with him in her own flesh and not simply in the skin of one of her clones. Soon. But for now she simply would have to lie down and try to win his heart a second time from behind a mask. And if that didn't work she'd fry the imposter and retake her place.  
  
In Shinji's apartment complex:  
  
Auska and Misato walked with the slow, drawn out march of a funeral procession. After exiting the elevator, they, with an outward calmness, made their way to the door at the end of the hallway that led into Shinji's apartment. Inside Misato's head she was still screaming at the security guard: 'what the #@!$ hell do you mean he's got a teenage prostitute upstairs with him? You !@#$#!@, You let someone like that go upstairs with him?'  
  
'Well. . .'  
  
'That baka just got a girlfriend. Your telling us that he's already cheating on her? I'll kill him, even if it is Wondergirl he's cheating on! I'll kill him on principle,'Auska raged.  
  
Misato opened her mouth to scream some more vile insults at him some more but the guard had smashed his fist upon the button for the security door in a frantic effort to avoid further punishment and so managed to avoid being told he was fired as the female duo both rushed into the elevator behind the door and then disappeared.  
  
Now as Auska and Misato both walked up to Shinji's front door, both shaking with pent up rage, they wondered just what sort of debaucheries were going on from behind the door.  
  
Inside Shinji's apartment.  
  
"Oh-no," said Shinji. He had done what he had known he was going to eventually do shortly after buying Rooshi: he had tripped over the poor little dog when it had been weaving in between his legs. The dog, though completely unharmed, was now barking madly after just having his master trip and then fall on top of him while he was trying to scamper away.  
  
The ramen noodles that Shinji had prepared for himself and Karou were now all over the floor now, and Shinji lay there on top of the mess sprawled with what felt like a sprained left ankle. Shinji winced as he put both of his hands to the floor and gently tried to raise himself to his knees, being careful to avoid putting any weight on the left portion of his body. Just then Karou walked out of the bathroom door, wearing a towel at her shoulders. Shinji did not notice as that he was facing the direction opposite of her. Karou frowned to herself, hoping for more of a reaction, and slowly made her way to where Shinji was. Sadly, she was far to focused on Shinji and did not notice that the mess on the floor except the noodles in front of Shinji. Kawru took two steps towards Shinji and immediately slipped heels over head on the ramen's broth beneath her, falling with a very loud SPLAT on the wet and sticky floor beneath her.  
  
Somewhere underneath NERV headquarters Rei winced at the pain that came to her through the connection.  
  
The wind knocked out of Karou, she choked and gasped for breath, although not nearly as loudly as Shinji did. Shinji stared down at Karou, looking for all the world as if he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Just then the door opened. Misato and Auska stared at Shinji. Shinji cringed as he saw the way that they looked at him. Misato's expression the type that was usually reserved for people who were on the verge of amputating their own arm to avoid death. Misato's mask of controlled, deadly seriousness was neatly counter balanced by Auska's expression, twisted with an inferno of rage, Auska's face looked lovely to Shinji even despite the fact that Shinji had little doubt that she was about to stomp into the ground.  
  
"Ugh," said Karou as she rubbed her head and tried to stand.  
  
"Shinji," began Misato in a quiet voice.  
  
Shinji cowered, Karou stood, although her towel was now on the ground she appeared as calm as ever if somewhat dazed and bruised. Her appearance did not make the two fully clad women appear any less infuriated. /This is not what I wanted/, thought Karou. She watched as Auska walked to Shinji with her hand raised and about to slap him with all her might. Karou quickly grabbed it and twisted Auska's arm around behind her back producing a sharp yelp from the red haired girl. "That is uncalled for," Karou said evenly.  
  
"Nagisa? You whore, who the hell do you think you are?!? Get your filthy hands off of me," Auska screeched.  
  
"I am not a whore, I am simply waiting for the rain to stop. I gave Shinji a lift home on my bicycle and gave him my clothes to dry while I showered off."  
  
Misato gave the girl a serious, angry look as she snatched the towel off of the ground and threw it at the girl. "If that is the case, young lady, than what are you doing out in the hall way stark naked?"  
  
"I had a towel. I was simply retrieving my clothes when I slipped on the ramen on the floor and fell."  
  
Misato opened her mouth to say something, but before she could Auska snarled, "you just walked out in front of the baka wearing only a towel? What if he got all horny and. . . ", before Auska could finish those words Karou twisted Auska's arm higher, causing Auska to yelp in pain and shock, now a small glare on Karou's face.  
  
"If anyone has done anything wrong it is myself and only myself. Shinji in no way has done anything improper." Karou's crimson eyes shone with anger. And disappointment. Inwardly she sighed and decided that there was going to be no way to get these two women out of the apartment so she could recreate a few memories. The very best she could hope for was to leave with Shinji not hating her.  
  
"I am very sorry for the problems I seem to have caused. I was so comfortable I simply forgot where I was and went out regardless of modesty. I apologize." This Karou said looking at Shinji. With a small bow to Shinji she darted to the dryer and fetched her clothes and then went back to the bathroom.  
  
Karou sighed once the had door closed behind her. With her back to it she slowly allowed herself to slide to the floor. A few miles away Rei II drew back her consciousness from Karou slightly and wondered if life was supposed to be so complicated when you were in love. She had heard something to that effect, and yet, somehow, when overhearing her classmates talking about this guy or that girl, she had never heard of anything like this coming up. Rei II imbued the remodeled shell of her sister with her awareness once more and Karou arose.  
  
Misato listened to Shinji explain all of the events that had lead up to the misunderstanding in the living room while holding Auska, who was glaring daggers at the bathroom door through which Karou had retreated, firmly by the shoulder, "I see, so Karou was just here to get out of the rain and wanted to dry off. Well the guard made a mistake Shinji, no one is aloud up here. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding but Karou is going to have to leave the moment that she is dressed."  
  
"Will you please give her a lift then? She was really nice to leave school and give me a ride back to my apartment." Shinji neglected to mention the reason Karou gave Shinji for her kind behavior. His head was still reeling from what she said to him. Why in the world did she care about him. She didn't even know him. Still, he wanted to do something nice for her.  
  
Karou stepped gracefully out of the bathroom, now fully dressed, her clothes dry once more, against all odds a small smile was on her face. Auska looked at the girl with disgust and muttered something in German under her breath. Shinji stared at her, and then said, "Karou, Misato says that this building is off limits to all non-personal. If it were up to me you could stay here for as long as you want, but since its not Misato has offered to give you a ride home."  
  
"Thank you Ikari-kun." Shinji gave a small start at her saying his name. It touched on some memory that he couldn't quite put his finger on.  
  
He walked over to the door and opened it for the three women and one by one they left his apartment. Shinji sighed after shutting his door behind the last one, Auska who wouldn't even look at him, and turned to clean up the mess on the floor. Rooshi was now silent as he lay curled up in his basket, apparently worn out from the excitement.  
  
Shinji went into his hall closet to get himself a mop and some cleaner. But when he got back to the living room he nearly choked when he saw Karou standing there, with her arms at her side and a perfectly serene smile on her face.  
  
"K-Karou?"  
  
"I told them I forgot something so they let me comeback for a moment."  
  
"What did you forget," asked a bewildered Shinji.  
  
"Only this." And with that she walked up to Shinji, her crimson eyes entrancing him, and when she stood only a few inches away from him she bent over and kissed him on the lips.  
  
Shinji fell back, tripped and landed on his backside while Karou giggled over him. With that she turned around and walked back out of the apartment.  
  
Next: Rei III three becomes afraid of Rei II, sensing the piece of the sixteenth angel that was left inside of her. Fearing that she will eventually cause the destruction of the world she takes up arms against her. Rei III, however, finds that Shinji may be in the gravest danger of all from her warped twin. 


End file.
